Word Create PDF

Learn how to utilize the Word Create PDF feature to create a PDF from any Word document, keeping the table of contents, bookmarks and any hyperlinks intact.

Word’s create PDF feature allows you to take a Word document, that contains a table of contents and hyperlinks, and convert it cleanly to a PDF document, keeping the TOC and Hyperlinks intact. If the document contains Word’s styles, it can also use those to create bookmarks if you wish. This is a great feature for converting large documents without having to recreate integral pieces such as the hyperlinks. Below are the step by step instructions for utilizing the Word Create PDF feature and its options.

Open the document you wish to create a PDF from.

Click the Filebutton to access Backstage.

Click Export to access the Export options.

Click Create PDF/XPS Document and click the Create PDF/XPS button.

The Publish as PDF or XPS dialog box will open. Navigate to the location you wish to save the PDF and name the file.

Check the Open file after publishingbox if you wish to have the PDF document open once it’s created and saved.

Select the appropriate Optimize for option –

Choose Standard if you are publishing online and printing.

Choose Minimum size if you need to shrink it for publishing online.

Click the Optionsbutton to set the appropriate options.

The Optionsdialog box will open.

Page Range – Choose exactly what part of the Word document you need to convert. If you have highlighted a section of the document, the Selection option will become available.

Publish what– Choose Document, unless the document contains tracked changes and you need to include them in the document. In this case, choose Document showing markup.

Include non-printing information

Create bookmarks using Headings – Check this option if you wish to create bookmarks from heading within your document. NOTE: The headings must be created with Word styles.

Create bookmarks using Word bookmarks – Choose this option if you have Word bookmarks within your document and you wish to create PDF bookmarks from them.

Check the Document properties box if you want to include the document properties with the PDF document.

Check Document structure tags for accessibility to make it easier to screen reading software to read the PDF document.

PDF options

PDF/A Compliant – Choose this option to create the PDF document as version 1.7, which is the archiving standard. PDF/A will insure the document will look the same whenever it’s opened, even on different computers.

Bitmap text when fonts may not be embedded – Choose this option if you cannot embed the fonts into the document. The PDF will use bitmap images of the text so that it looks the same as the original Word document. NOTE: If you do NOT choose this option and the file contains fonts that can’t be embedded, then the PDF reader may substitute another font causing the document to look different from the original.

Encrypt the document with a password – Choose this option to restrict access to the document to only those with the password. NOTE: Once you click OK, you will be walked through the steps to add and validate a password.

Once you have selected the appropriate options, click the OKbutton.

Once you click OK, you will be taken back to the Publish as PDF or XPS dialog box. Make sure you have the necessary settings checked and click Publish.

The PDF is created. In this example, bookmarks were created from the heading styles and you can see the hyperlink is intact.